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Granada's Patroness Leaves the Cathedral to Cheers

Granada's Patroness Leaves the Cathedral to Cheers RUSSPAIN.com © russpain.com
Granada's Patroness Leaves the Cathedral to Cheers © russpain.com
Granada welcomed its patroness outside the Cathedral after earthquake damage closed the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias. Hundreds joined the changed September procession and pilgrim mass.

Cheers and the Spanish national anthem greeted Granada's Patroness as she left the Cathedral through the door of the Encarnación on 27 September, hours after the Cathedral opened at 7:30 for the morning liturgy.

The procession had a different starting point. It did not begin at the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias. Earthquake damage has kept the Basilica closed and forced the Brotherhood to reorganise this year's September ceremonies. The traditional pilgrim mass also moved to the Cathedral.

The crowds still came.

Residents waited to accompany the Sagrada Imagen de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias through the city's basic streets. They brought prayers to the image of Granada and its Archdiocese. Canal Sur and IDEAL reported hundreds of people around the Cathedral, with strong interest across the city centre.

ABC and IDEAL reported that the statue of the Virgen de las Angustias had been transferred to the church of Sagrario on 30 August. Europa Press also reported the transfer. The statue remained there during the September services.

The route made the closure impossible to miss. From the Cathedral, the procession went through Marqués de Gerona. It then crossed Alhóndiga before reaching San Antón. It stopped at the entrance to its usual basilica home before returning to the Cathedral.

ABC and Andaluciainformacion reported that the route was planned to pass in front of the Basilica without entering it. The closed sanctuary became part of the ceremony.

Inside the Cathedral, the Brotherhood's groups gathered before the departure. Invited brotherhoods joined them, along with civil and ecclesiastical authorities. Antonio González, hermano mayor of the patronal Brotherhood, said the ceremony centred on the Virgen de las Angustias; the cofrades were not its focus.

The image came first.

The most intense moment came when bearers positioned the canopy in front of the sacred image. Jesucristo rested in her lap. The scene carried the religious meaning linked to the Virgin's motherhood and her intercession before her Son.

The earthquake damage is concentrated above all in the Basilica's dome and drum. ABC reported cracks in the dome after the series of tremors on 18 August, while the Brotherhood said repairs would take months. Europa Press also reported a donation campaign to help restore the church.

The Seises of the Catedral de Granada sang the hymn to the Virgen de las Angustias. They later accompanied the image along the route. Bells rang from churches across the city. People in the streets answered with cries and prayers, making personal petitions.

Granada's changed procession also fits a wider pattern in Spanish cities. Major religious ceremonies often move through central civic spaces. Here, the reason was direct: earthquake damage closed the Basilica.

A San Sebastián report covered a very different public gathering. Both events showed how city landmarks can draw collective attention.

The September programme now carries two facts. The Basilica remains closed because of earthquake damage. Devotion to the Virgen de las Angustias has continued.

The Brotherhood's fundraising campaign seeks support for the Basilica's restoration. Europa Press reported the campaign after the earthquake damage.

Granada kept the tradition moving.

The closure changed the setting, while the public act continued. The Cathedral became the departure point and the return point. Hundreds of Granadinos accompanied their Patroness past her closed home. The route changed, with the Virgen de las Angustias still at its centre.

Richard Reid RUSSPAIN.com
Editor

Richard Reid

Richard Reid is the News Editor at RUSSPAIN.COM. He oversees editorial standards, source review and corrections and writes across general news, including politics, economics and social affairs.